alternator cleaning

[rudyjrusa]

hi - is there anyway to clean the alternator??  i just took it off the engine and would like to clean it up before i put it back.  i have a rust removal liquid - can i submerge the alternator in the liquid??

[aifilaw]

an alternator consists of a few basic parts...
usually a pot metal, or aluminum housing, copper or aluminum windings, bearings, and magnets....

There's a term for the points, or springs, or whatever, but its almost 7am here... and I've been up with a crying baby for the last 4 hours.... so I don't remember, but remove the small screws that seem to go nowhere in the back, along with all the rubber grommets and electrical connections...
As long as the stuff your submerging it into doesn't create oxidation after its removed then I'd say go for it, clean the connections, and put it back...

But honestly, from a metallurgical standpoint, unless it also coats it with a rust inhibitor, it will just get rusty again since exposed carbon metals take about 11 seconds to start rusting in an oxygen environment.

[Nacho-RT74]

Only pieces that could be damaged on process are bearings since you could eliminate the grease comes with them

Rear bearing is not a problem, since is an opened one and you can add the grease, but front one is a little bit harder to grease it, unless you remove the pulley, and them remove rotor from front housing and grease the front bearing opening the dust cover to get acces to internal rollers.

My advice is if you make it, unjoin and go, but remove also the front pulley to grease the front bearing later.

To unjoin:
-remove brushes and isolators
-remove the 3 long bolts in front
-separate both housings. Stator coil must stay with rear housing because ends of coils are attached to diodes bank. Rotor will come with front housing